Press weighs up Georgia war cost

Georgian and Russian newspapers consider the cost of the August 2008 war over South Ossetia and the two countries' competing efforts to get their version of events accepted.

Otar Janelidze in Georgia's 24 SAATI

Russian tank on Gori-Tbilisi road

In August 2008 the Russia-Georgia war was waged from the beginning to the end on Georgian soil and it did not touch even an inch of Russian territory... Georgian armed forced acted on their own territory, they did not intrude into another country and did not violate the norms of international relations One may argue about the humanitarian aspects of this step, point to human rights abuses during the hostilities, and so forth. But the Georgian authorities did not violate the framework of the constitution.

Irakli Sesiashvili in Georgia's VERSIA

There are no points of contact any more with Russia; the severance of diplomatic relations is a result of the war and we cannot blame the [Georgian] authorities for that.

Olga Allenova in Russia's KOMMERSANT

Moscow and Tbilisi have decided to size each other up again, this time in the field of information warfare. The trophy in the new war is well-known: Europe's opinion about the actions of Russia and Georgia in August [2008].

Editorial in Russia's VEDOMOSTI

The war in South Ossetia, which started a year ago, has cost Russia dear. Some of the losses are impossible to measure: 64 Russian soldiers and officers and more than 160 civilians, mostly Russian citizens, were killed over the five days of hostilities... The war cost Russia $27.7bn.

Yuliya Kalinina in Russia's MOSKOVSKIY KOMSOMOLETS

In August last year [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev said that South Ossetia would receive 10bn dollars from Russia... The devastation is still there, but the money is gone... South Ossetia, which does not produce anything at all, as well as Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia and other subsidised regions, which we are carrying like heavy backpacks, are not enough for us. We want to take on another burden. We are planning to shoulder the responsibility for Georgia too.

Pavel Felgengauer in Russia's NOVAYA GAZETA

Conditions are ripe for a new large-scale resumption of hostilities... The Russian authorities seem to be acting in accordance with an approved plan with the ultimate aim of unseating [Georgian President] Mikheil Saakashvili and completely defeating and disarming Georgia's small regular army.

BBC Monitoringselects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.

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